F-IRE : WORKS | PRESS

'Bands include: Shorter Stories; Polar Bear; Basquiat Strings; Ingrid Laubrock Quintet; Timeline; Jon Bratoeff Quintet; Oriole; Tom Arthurs' Centripede; Acoustic Ladyland; Jade Fox

In case you haven't heard, F-IRE is a collective of musicians, bands, dancers and visual artists - the nearest thing we have to an M-Base umbrella, yet musically more diverse. Their expansive identity is well evident in 'F-ire Works', a 10-track showcase of some of the smartest bands in town. Robert Mitchell's Wayne Shorter tribute band, Shorter Stories kicks the album off with 'At the Fair', a live, folksy track marked by Norma Winstone¹s vocals and Julian Siegel¹s stirring soprano. A common element throughout many of the tracks is brilliant cellist Ben Davis, whose Basquiat Strings shine on 'Double Dares'. Also notable is raw tenor saxist Ingrid Laubrock, whose quintet make beautiful work of 'Clara'. She also appears on French guitarist Jon Bratoeff¹s darkly soulful 'Wandering Minds'. Watch out for stunning vocalist Juliet Biel too, and her earthy singing on 'Song for the Sleeping' - a gorgeous lullaby performed by guitarist Jonny Phillips' Oriole. Too much to talk about here, from Acoustic Ladyland's brooding 'Some Other Sky', to the harmolodic, Ghanaian funk of 'Timeline' or Jade Fox's anthemic 'A Space for Lucian'. A sampler of some very fine acts, and a very good album for its own sake.'

[ Tom Barlow ]

'Winstone's voice, one of the great signifying elements of both Impressed collections, also establishes a mood for F-IRE: Works (F-IRE/Proper, 10.99), which begins with Shorter Stories' live recording of At the Fair, a Wayne Shorter tune with lyrics by Winstone. But this 10-track compilation belongs to a new generation of British artists, including young bands such as Polar Bear, Jade Fox, Timeline and Acoustic Ladyland. And just as the DNA of Brit-jazz can be found in prog rock, punk, ambient music and electro, the F-IRE musicians' tentacles reach everywhere. Most of Jade Fox tour with rapper Ty, and Ingrid Laubrock works with Monica Vasconceles. Tom Arthurs' Centripede includes bassist Max de Wardener, who, like Timeline drummer Leo Taylor, plays with Mara Carlyle, signed (as is de Wardener) to Matthew Herbert's Accidental label. Cellist Ben Davis crops up in several bands: Laubrock's, Oriole, Shorter Stories and his own Basquiat Strings, including Gogmagogs viola player Nell Catchpole. Their track Double-Dares is a moody highlight of F-IRE: Works.'

[ Gilles Petersen on F-IRE (Guardian - 25/06/2004) ]

The staunchly independent Babel label has been there first with its support for the F-ire Collective, having already released acclaimed albums by Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland. These are just two of the bands associated with the London gathering who have made such a big impact on the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards nominations.

Most of those involved are musicians, but dancers and visual artists are also welcome. At the outset, F-ire's aim was to foster co-operation rather than competition. Now, the collective is launching its own label, in cahoots with Babel. Recording is but one of their expressive outlets, with much time also devoted to live performance and educational workshops.

This compilation provides an introduction to F-ire's roster of talent, with many players enjoying criss-crossing relationships within each other's outfits. "At The Fair", by Robert Mitchell's Shorter Stories might be perceived as an approachable opening number, but its mellow scatting gives a false impression of F-ire's output. It's not exactly an expression of their tendency to experiment and confront staid habits.

Polar Bear's "Urban Kilt" is the real start of the creative proceedings, selected from one of the year's best albums. Convoluted rhythmic development carries cross-cutting saxophone themes, Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart playing with an almost Arabic tonality, bending and twisting their supple lines. The Basquiat Strings shunt the mood again, as Ben Davis heads a classically-trained quintet who are still profoundly influenced by the jazz experience.

As the sequence progresses, it becomes increasingly noticeable how many of these players like to savour their own rounded edges, happy to enunciate more slowly, to reach a softly organic state. Ingrid Laubrock is a prime example of this approach, her "Clara" unfolding slowly, with heightened feeling. Timeline's "Road Rage" presents another striking contrast, cleverly upping the fusion density, and matching all comers for high speed, time-changing and simultaneous wriggling.

The track by the Jon Bratoeff Quintet passes by unremarkably, and this could explain why he's the least-familiar artist on show. Oriole features guitarist Jonny Phillips and singer Julia Biel, with their "Song For The Sleeping" providing a remarkable showcase for the latter's uncategorisable stylings. Not quite jazz, not quite pop, Biel hovers in her own stratosphere.

Tom Arthurs' Centipede are fidgety writhers, striking angular shapes with tricky grooves and utilising the spiked fork of their leader's trumpet and Laubrock's soprano saxophone. Acoustic Ladyland cleverly disguise Jimi Hendrix as they take their initial inspiration even further afield, then guitarist David Okumu's Jade Fox close up this impressive set, dreamy, slow and swirling, but with a slightly sinister edge.

[ Martin Longley on www.bbc.co.uk 2004 ]